Spiderman: Home at Last
by berry96
Summary: This story takes place after Spiderman: Far From Home without taking into account Peter's identity reveal. Peter and his classmates return to New York where a new villain is waiting for him. With Peter's mind plagued with memories and Michelle caught in the crossfire of Spiderman and his enemies, Peter has to navigate life being a superhero high school student.
1. Chapter 1: Back in New York

**Hey guys! So I haven't written for fun in a long time and I've been reading loads of Spideychelle stories so I decided to try it. I should be posting at least once a week as well. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter one

**Peter's POV**

Peter sat on his apartment building roof, his feet dangling over the edge as he watched the traffic below. He closed his eyes, breathing in, the air chilling his lungs. As usual, Peter was deep into a daydream. He closed his eyes and felt MJ's arms around his neck again, her legs around his waist as she held on for dear life. He remembered landing, her releasing her grip, seeing her hair ruffled and even crazier from the wind.

He sighed before Karen woke him from his thoughts.

"Peter, there is currently a robbery taking place one mile from here."

"Okay, show me the way."

Within a second he was off, swinging between building. The night was silent, the frigid air piercing through his suit. He reached the bank and landed on the roof.

"Karen, are there any entry points?"

"Yes, there are vents throughout the building and a window that is open."

He thought for a moment. The window would make this quicker, but more risky. He knew the vents would keep his presence unknown for a while, but being confined in a metal tunnel wasn't necessarily appealing.

"Window it is," he muttered, flinging himself over the edge of the roof. He crawled across the wall until he reached the open window. Taking a quick scan, he knew there were twelve hostages, three men with the hostages, and another three gathering the money.

He swung inside, landing softly behind the counter. He ducked down and held his breath, waiting for one of the men to say something.

"Everyone stay down! Don't move a muscle, or I will shoot," a large tattooed man growled at the hostages.

Peter peered around the counter and watched as an older woman shook with sobs, causing the man to fire off several warning shots. Screams sounded, but were cut off by a yell.

"Shut up or you'll all be dead!" He roared at them.

Peter shot webs at two of the men with guns and pulled, sending two guns flying out of their hands. The third turned to look at him and grinned.

"Hey, Spidey. Here to play?" He taunted.

"Oh you know, just thought I'd drop by and say hi." Peter replies.

The man's laugh was filled with something malicious, and it made Peter want to kick his ass even more.

Shots began to fire at him, and he dodged them in a seemingly effortless array of flips and movements. The two other men came running at him, one throwing a punch which Peter caught, he then kicked the man in the chest which sent him flying. He shot a web to secure him to the wall. As he turned to face the other man, the three others emerged from the back.

"Web grenade!" He shouted, shooting a web and tangling two of the new three men together.

He was able to string up the last one, but as he turned a fist collided with his head, his vision blurred for a moment. As Peter tried to gain his balance again, his opponent pulled out a knife and slashed at him. Peter clumsily dodged it, still dizzy from the hit, but the man made contact with the back of his right shoulder causing Peter's senses to scream in pain. He recovered enough to punch the man back, sending him sprawling.

When Peter turned to the tattooed criminal with the gun, and he now had the gun against a young girl's head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Don't move, Spiderman." He glared, his finger tense on the trigger.

"Karen," Peter said under his breath. "Alert the cops."

Glancing up, Peter noticed a chandelier above. Before the man had even realized what was happening, Peter had shot a web of his latest design at the chandelier. This new web disintegrated anything it was wrapped around. He called it Acid Web. Cheesy? Maybe. Effective? Most definitely.

"You missed," the man laughed, pressing the gun harder against the girl's head, causing her to yelp in fear.

"Did I?" Peter grinned under his suit. The man looked up to see the chandelier begin to fall, and Peter shot a web at the hostage, pulling her out of the way. As the criminal was crushed, dust billowing out, Peter shielded the girl from the debris. The hostages cheered, the girl he saved looking up at Peter in awe. He smiled. This is what makes the job worth the pain. After ensuring that the criminals were secure, Peter made his way out the window and onto the roof.

Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he jumped to swing back towards home. The pain erupted, sending him falling through the air. He was lucky enough to land roughly on an

apartment building. He feel the heat of blood seeping through the suit and he moved to rest his hand on the wound. He winced and was pulled back his hand to see that his glove was stained dark red. Staggering to his feet, he looked around. Just five blocks from here is... no. He couldn't. Right? You have no other choice, he told himself. He took off again, this time more slowly and cradling his right arm. Groaning with each swing, his destination seemed too far away, but he made it nonetheless.

**MJ's POV**

MJ was laying on her bed with her latest book rested on her chest. She couldn't focus on it enough to pick it back up again and instead was staring at her ceiling thinking about where Peter was and if he's okay. She was up late, keeping an eye on updates on Spider-Man's whereabouts. Her father hadn't bothered to check on her, he hardly even cares anymore so she was allowed time to lay awake with her thoughts. Even this late at night. She continued running through the possibilities in her mind until she heard a light tap at her window. Thinking nothing of it, she clicked on the link to a news update about Spiderman stopping a robbery. She heard another tap and looked up to see a figure outside her window. She jumped, then realized that she's on the seventh floor so there's only one person it could be. She stood to look out, and sure enough, she saw Peters mask and she hurried over and flung it open. He tumbled in, groaning and holding his right shoulder.

"Oh my god, Peter, are you okay?"

His only reply was a nod, although she could see the tears welling up in his eyes. MJ ran to get a first aid kit from the bathroom and was immediately forcing him to allow her to help. His suit fell to his ankles and MJ looked away. Peter, embarrassed, quickly grabbed a pair of sweatpants from his bag and pulled them on. MJ then sat him down at her desk and began to treat the wound.

"This is going to hurt, so brace yourself."

Peter, no stranger to these kinds of injuries, merely winced as she began to stitch up the wound.

"Thank you." He managed, after MJ laid him down on her bed.

"Of course." She swallowed her habit of calling him loser or nerd, not knowing how to change her behavior to treat her newly found boyfriend.

"They were back last night." He said in a monotone voice.

Michelle's heart sank. Peter's nightmares have only increased after Mysterio's illusions about Tony.

"I'm sorry, Peter."

"It's okay," he said, though it clearly wasn't.

MJ wasn't convinced but nodded and stood up from the foot of the bed to pile blankets on the floor. She was making a bed for herself to sleep in for the night.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked.

"Making a bed to sleep on."

"What? No, I'll be on my way soon."

"Peter, come on. You're not leaving. You are in no condition to be swinging around."

"Okay, then let me sleep on the floor." He sat up, grimacing at the pain.

"Peter!" She gently but firmly laid him back down. "You are not moving from that bed." She glared at him.

"Fine, but I have a better solution."

"And what's that?"

With a small smile he said, "You can join me up here."

"As lovely as that sounds, you need to rest."

"MJ, you honestly think I could sleep better without you next to me?"

"Why not?"

"Please?" He looked at her with his puppy dog eyes, which made MJ smile.

"Okay."

His eyes lit up as he slid over and MJ turned out the lights. He lifted the covers so she could crawl beneath them. She pressed against him and rested her head on his good shoulder.

"Goodnight MJ,"

"Mmhmm." She was asleep within seconds of Peter wrapping his arms around her.

While Michelle slept peacefully, Peter did not.

**Peter's POV**

Peter listened to Michelle's soft breathing and leaned his head against hers, her hair slightly tickling his cheek.

He laid there for several hours, replaying moments and memories that are always in the back of his mind. The zombified Iron Man suit crawling from the ground. Disintegrating in Tony's arms. And I am Iron Man. Everything seemed to lead back to him.

Peter's cheeks grew damp with tears, and when his body finally gave up he was dunked head first into a series of nightmares. Peter's nightmares were the same memories that plagued his mind while he was awake.

They were inescapable.

**MJ'S POV**

MJ awoke to Peter's grip around her tightening, as if he were afraid she would disappear.

"Peter?"

No response.

She turned to look at him, and her heart sank. The tracks of his tears were prominent, his face was contorted in fear, or possibly despair, and even his body was rigid.

She could hear him mutter something under his breath, and she leaned in to hear what it was.

"We won, Mr. Stark. We did it. We won." It was barely audible, but she heard it.

And then even softer, "I'm sorry."

Michelle's eyes began to sting as well, but she shook the tears away. He needs me. She shook him gently, whispering to him.

"It's okay, I'm right here. Wake up, Peter."

He whimpered softly, moving his head slightly. It absolutely destroyed Michelle to see him this way.

She repeated herself, shaking him slightly harder this time.

"It's okay, Peter. Wake up."

He gasped, sitting up suddenly. He immediately was looking around, ready to defend himself and MJ. His eyes turned from panicky to tired as he realized they weren't in any danger.

MJ reached out and rested her hand on his chest. He put his own hand over hers, and he laid back down silently.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" He whispered to her.

"Yeah, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but I'm sorry I woke you. Should I head home?"

"No, Peter. I just want you to sleep well for once." He moved to rest his arm across her waist which cause MJ's heart to flutter.

"I can't escape it, MJ."

MJ furrowed her brow in worry and Peter leaned in to kiss her forehead.

"Then I'll stay up with you, then you won't have to think about it." She insisted.

"You need your sleep."

"So do you, Peter."

He smiled softly and reached across her to check his phone. The time was 4:00 am. He sighed and looked at Michelle. She glared at him, stubborn in her decision to stay up with him.

"Just this once," he conceded.

She grinned, which caused the faintest hint of a smile to reach his own eyes, and MJ reached to hold his face in her hands.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

"That you look so much better with a smile."

His smile grew, and he pulled her against him and they chatted for hours. At around 7, they both fell asleep again, but this time, Peter was nightmare free.

MJ awoke to soft rays of sunshine filtering in from her window, the faint sounds of traffic below. She was confused as to why she couldn't move for a second, before she realized that Peter was laying on her arm, his face smushed into the pillow beside her. I have the cutest boyfriend. She took a mental picture before waking him.

"Peter, wake up."

He blinked his eyes open slowly, before rolling over to stretch. Immediately Michelle felt the warmth leave her body. He's always so warm. She shook the thought away. He sat up and pulled on his suit, and Michelle had to fight the urge to stare. He pulled his sweatshirt and jeans on over the suit while MJ swung her feet off the bed and stood to begin changing. She removed her worn out t-shirt and began browsing through her closet for a comfortable hoodie. Glancing behind her, she saw Peter in her peripherals. Having gotten undressed due to habit, she hadn't thought about the fact that he was here which caused her to spin around in alarm. Peter's eyes were averted and a blush was growing on his face. She hurriedly threw a black sweatshirt on and slid into her most comfortable pair of ripped jeans. She pulled her hair into her usual crazy tied back style, and returned to sit on the bed. She checked the time.

"One o'clock?!" Her eyes widened.

"What!?" Peter sat up quickly.

"Thank god it's a Saturday."

"Oh god, May! She must be so nervous!" Peter stood and rushed to the window.

"No way you're going out there." MJ stood to stop him.

"MJ, I have to go."

She glared and pulled her phone out. She dialed May's number.

"Hello? Michelle? Have you seen Peter?!" May's panic was clear just through her voice.

"Yes, May, he's here with me. I'm so sorry, we slept in late. We're about to leave and we'll be there soon, he got hurt last night so he can't swing home."

"Thank you, Michelle. Please bring him back safely."

"Of course. See you soon."

She ended the call and slid her phone into her back pocket.

"Come on, let's go."

Peter flung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Be careful!" MJ exclaimed, concerned about his shoulder.

"What?"

"Your shoulder!"

"Oh, it's fine, it's just a little sore now."

She looked at him in confusion.

"My powers include accelerated healing." He said nonchalantly, strolling past her and out of her room.

"You can't just say that so casually!" She called, hurrying after him. She grabbed her backpack that was sitting on the couch. She noticed her dad's keys were gone from their usual spot and she breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't like her having a boyfriend, even though it's Peter Parker, the epitome of a perfect and gentlemanly good student. The dream of most parents. Not to mention his secondary life, where he saves people's lives and all that good stuff.

MJ noticed Peter hadn't done his hair, which means it was a mess with his waves all over the place. Just like MJ likes it. As they made their way to the street, MJ noticed the taxi she called was waiting for them. They climbed in, and Peter told the driver the address.

"Two teenagers alone such as yourselves on a Saturday? Nothing but trouble." The driver's voice was scratchy, and he had a thick New York accent.

He glanced back at them with a strange look. MJ wasn't sure what it meant but she rolled her eyes anyways and began to watch the buildings pass by out the window.

The ride was uneventful, except for the occasional yelling of the driver at the cars around him. Peter was bouncing his knee, clearly nervous about something. They had been in the taxi for fifteen minutes when Michelle saw Peter jolt. The alarm in his eyes was clear.

"You took a wrong turn. This isn't the right way." Peter's hand went to tug at his sleeve which made the red of his suit show through.

"I know." The driver grinned, a malicious look in his eye that MJ hadn't seen before.

Peter was positioning his web shooters when the driver pulled over. A woman climbed inside and whipped out a gun. She smiled at Peter and positioned the gun against MJ's forehead. Her heart skipped a beat, eyes wide.

The woman winked at Peter. "If you shoot, I do too."


	2. Chapter 2: Prison Break

**Hey guys! So I'll be posting two chapters together, because as I was writing chapter two I realized a flashback chapter was needed! I've decided to introduce a lesser known villain from the comics, with my own twist on the character. I hope you like this version of her!**

Chapter Two: Prison Break

**Peter's POV**

September 17th, 2018

"Peter," Karen got his attention back from watching the streets below. "Tony Stark is calling."

"Answer it, please."

"Peter?" Tony's voice filled his ears.

"Hey, Mr. Stark."

"I'm a bit busy right now, and a prison escape is going on right now. Can you make it?" Tony may have phrased it as a question, but it most definitely was not.

"I'm all over it, sir."

"Good. Call me after."

"Will do."

Peter shot off down the streets, towards New York's prison. He arrived in just under five minutes, landing with a thud on top of the roof.

"Karen, can you scan the building?"

"Seven guards are being held hostage directly below and thirteen prisoners have weapons. There's also another threat, something's moving in the vents but I can't tell what it is."

"Got it, thanks."

"No problem, Peter."

Peter dropped in through a hatch on the roof, finding himself in a closet. He tried the doorknob, but it was locked. He kicked the lock and toppled out into the hallway.

"Hey!" A deep voice bellowed. "I just heard something this way!"

Peter crawled up and flattened himself to the ceiling, watching as three prisoners blew by beneath him. He dropped back onto the floor silently and ran after them.

They led him down a hall of cells, all empty. It ended in a dead end, and as they turned around, Peter shot a web grenade at them that glued them to the wall. He shot more webs to cover their mouths, and before they could even take a breath they were no longer a threat.

"Impressive." An airy voice said behind him.

Peter spun around to see a woman in an all black suit, a ski mask pulled over her face but her white hair was free to billow out below the mask.

"Hey Spidey." She winked through her mask.

"Who are you?" Peter asked.

"Doesn't matter. I'm just here to get you out of my way."

"Try me."

Peter could tell by the crinkle of her eyes that she was smiling. She stepped forward, her fingers twitching as if they were aching to gouge his eyes out.

She struck first, throwing a punch towards his face and as he moved to block it she changed course, kicking him in the gut instead. He grunted, but recovered quickly.

"I'd run now if I were you." She hissed at him.

"I think I'll stay awhile," he replied quickly before shooting a web at her feet and pulling on it, to knock her onto her back.

"Oh, I didn't know we were allowed to use our weapons. In that case, this will be easy." She stood and flexed her hands, claws appearing from her fingertips. She slashed at Peter, making light contact across his chest but he was able to use her loss of balance to swipe her legs out from under her. He shot a web to stick her to the ground. She glared as he shot another to secure her hands. He ignored her taunts as he ran out of the room, off to find the remaining ten prisoners.

"See you around, Parker." She called out. He spun around to find out how she knew his real name, but his webs were in tatters across the floor, the tiny window that was set high in the wall broken from the inside.

Shaken, Peter left to resolve the violence taking place further into the building. This proved to be a simple task, as the prisoners only had makeshift weapons on their side. Three of the prisoners ended up dead from gunshot wounds by the names of Michael Simon, Walter Hardy, and Stephen Rodsen.

He never learned how she knew his name, or why she was at the prison that night. Soon after, he was called to fight Thanos which resulted in the blip and the loss of his mentor, which sent the two on separate paths for awhile. He never learned that she was an expert cat burglar, or even her name. He didn't know that she was at the prison to free her father. Peter never saw that woman again, until today.


	3. Chapter 3: The Black Cat

**Third chapter! So excited to be writing this, hopefully you enjoy it. I haven't written for fun in a long time so sorry if my writing is a bit off. Anyways, we'll see what happens this chapter ;)**

Chapter 3: The Black Cat

**Peter's POV**

Peter's mind was racing. Michelle was frozen, not moving a muscle. She looked at him, her eyes hiding her fear underneath a layer of defiance. He glanced down to see her hands shaking, but her expression was calm.

"Peter, honey," the woman turned to him. Upon a closer look, she seemed to be his own age, maybe a year or two older.

He glared at her, only receiving a smile in return.

"Put the mask on, won't you?" She said sweetly.

"What mask?" He attempted to play dumb, but she didn't buy it.

She pushed the gun harder against MJ's temple.

"Put it on or you'll have to scrub our sweet little Michelle's brains off the seat." Holding her friendly smile, she rested her finger on the trigger.

Holding eye contact with her, he pulled his mask out of his bag and pulled it on over his face.

"Ah, much better. I'm Felicia Hardy, in case you didn't know. But can call me Felicia, darling." She blew a kiss in his direction, and Peter wrinkled his nose. _What the actual hell is this lady on? _

She turned to Michelle.

"You, on the other hand, Mitchie, you can call me Ms. Hardy. Of course, Peter knows all about me."

"What are you talking about?" Peter jutted into her one sided conversation.

"Us, dear. Don't you remember?"

"I've never met you before."

"Why, of course you have. Last year, or I guess six years ago with the blip. The prison jail break attempt."

Peter thought back to when there were a few prisoners attempting to escape the prison. He had fought a girl in all black with a ski mask on, but she had gotten away…. Apparently she was back.

"That was you?"

"Yes, that was when I believed I could free my father."

"Walter Hardy? I put him behind bars ages ago. He died in that same prison escape attempt."

"Yes, yes, no need to rub it in sweetie."

Peter cringed every time she used a pet name for him.

"What do you want?" He spoke with daggers in his voice, already hating this new _Felicia._

"You." She replied bluntly. "You can't deny that an amazing cat burglar such as myself and a superhero like you isn't the most romantic tale to be told."

"Maybe if I was a hopeless romantic and you weren't _insane._" Peter replied. He glanced over at MJ and noted the hatred that had lit up in her eyes since the conversation started.

"Oh, that won't do. I'm sure you'll come around soon. Oh, how excellent! We're here!"

They pulled into the driveway of a large mansion, a fountain being the centerpiece of the front. On its base was a statue of a woman in a tight suit, her hair flowing and a small collar around her neck, a tiny bell hanging from it. Around her eyes was a black mask that was thinner than the masks _The Incredibles _used. While men with guns surrounded them, Michelle was pulled from the car and yet another gun was placed against her head so Felicia could put her own away. She climbed out and opened the door for Peter, and he jumped out quickly, anxious to be free to fight.

"Now, if you decide to cause any trouble, my men are instructed to shoot your little Mitchie, not you." She winked yet again at him.

"It's Michelle." MJ spoke up, annoyance in her tone.

Felicia walked over to her and stood incredibly close to her.

"I can call you anything I want, bitch. Don't act like I can't take everything from you." She hissed at MJ.

Michelle glared at her and spat in her face. It proved to be a poor decision when Felicia slapped her across the face.

Peter leaped forward, immediately between MJ and this new woman.

Now out of the taxi, Peter was able to get a better look at Felicia. She had shocking white hair, curled and cascading around her shoulders. Her outfit was all black, with skin tight faux leather leggings, a black shirt, and a black leather jacket. She was beautiful, but in the same way that a venomous creature might be beautiful. The bright colors were there to mask the poisonous animal within. Her looks were clearly deceiving.

"Shall we?" She smiled and gestured towards the front door.

Once inside, she led them down a flight of stairs into what seemed to be a basement, only built for defense. The walls were lined with metal, clearly to keep something in or out, Peter wasn't sure. She gestured to a seat, but Peter refused.

"Sit or your girlfriend is dead." She dropped the flirty tone for the moment.

Peter took a seat. He had to find a way out. He couldn't let MJ get hurt, which is exactly why he keeps his identity a secret. Felicia motioned towards him and a man stepped forward to bind him to the chair.

"Take the girl to the back room. I'll be there in a few minutes. Until then, leave us be." She ordered the men who nodded silently and did as they were told. She watched them leave until they were alone in the room.

"Here's the thing. I have been sending my men on burglaries, and you have been stopping them far too often. I, of course, handle the larger scale heists, but I can't do everything myself. So you have to _stop _what you're doing. At least for robberies and burglaries. Okay, honey?"

Peter processed this for a moment, as if he was actually considering the offer.

"I have a better idea."

"Which is?" She twirled a lock of hair in her fingers, seemingly annoyed that the conversation had turned into a bargain.

"I continue to stop them, and you rot in prison just like your father."

She giggled as if that were the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

"You really are quite a character." She smiled at him and bit her lip.

"I'm not kidding."

She moved closer to Peter, putting her hands on the arms of the chair, she leaned in until her lips were mere centimeters from his. He tried to move his head away but couldn't.

"I always get what I want, and this time will be no different." She whispered, and Peter could feel her breath, hot on his face. He was lucky enough to be wearing his mask.

"Sorry to break it to you, but that's not how it's going to work with me."

She smiled.

"Then I guess I'll have to start with your Michelle."

His breath caught in his throat, and she smiled even more, hearing his panic through the silence. Although that's not what she wanted, little did Peter know. She had a major crush on Spiderman, but not his high school student counterpart. She had no interest in Peter's civilian life.

She stood and walked away, into the room that MJ had disappeared to.

"Edith," Peter whispered.

"Yes, Peter?"

"Did Mr. Stark have any weapons that I can call in?"

"He did have a prototype Iron Man suit. It's fully functional and can fight on its own without a host."

"Perfect. Send that to get me out of here."

"On its way. It should arrive in 30 seconds."

Peter grinned underneath the mask, but it was immediately wiped off his face when a blood curdling scream echoed through the room.

"MJ," he breathed, panic rising in his chest.

**MJ's POV**

When Felicia Hardy walked in with a hungry look in her eye, Michelle knew what the possibilities were. There was about a 67% chance of her being carried out of here in a casket. _The same percentage that I was sure Peter was Spiderman_, she realized. Hopefully this time, she wouldn't be right.

The man who had held a gun to her head had tied her to a pillar in the center of the room.

Hardy strutted up to her smiling, yet again.

"Hey, hon." She reached up to brush aside one of MJ's curls.

"My, you're a pretty thing. It's a shame you're in the way of what I want."

"Fuck off." Michelle clenched her fists behind her.

"Then again," Felicia continued. "I don't think I'll mind killing you at all."

Hardy reached down and pulled up Michelle's sweatshirt to reveal her stomach. The air was cold on her bare skin, and Michelle's breath hitched. MJ's view was obscured, so she wasn't prepared when Felicia's claws came out and dug into her flesh. Michelle let out a scream, yet the pain continued. She was leaning heavily against the pillar, still crying out in pain while Felicia Hardy etched words onto her skin. Although it wasn't even a minute, it felt like an eternity to MJ.

Suddenly Felicia spun around, and the door was flung open by something. The guards shot at it, but were appalled when they saw it was Iron Man who stood there.

Well, Iron Man's suit. It shot blasts at the guards who dived for cover, and Spiderman appeared as well. He shot a web at Felicia, who was immediately constrained. Peter raced to MJ's side quickly untying the knots around her wrists and ankles.

She staggered once free, holding her stomach. When Peter saw the blood soaking through her sweatshirt he cried out, horrified that she was in pain. He lifted her into his arms, maneuvering his way back out into the fresh air.

MJ watched as these events flew by, her mind focused on the pain ripping across her stomach, and though Peter was careful not to jostle her, she still felt every movement with searing pain. The Iron Man suit appeared behind them,firing off into the air to hover above their heads. Peter shot a web up to hang from the suit. As they took off, Peter holding Michelle and swinging from the Iron Man suit, Felicia appeared at her broken down door having clawed her way free. She shot at them as they flew away, but they were two far gone.

As they left the mansion in the distance, MJ dug her fingers into Peter's shoulders in pain, and he held her tight. She buried her nose into the crook of his neck, tears streaming down her face.

"Hold on," he whispered in her ear before she passed out.

**Peter's POV**

When he reached his apartment, he carried MJ to his bed and laid her down. Immediately he began treating her wound, which he found to be a carving made on her stomach by Felicia.

When the blood was wiped away it said, THE BLACK CAT WAS HERE. _That must be Felicia's villainess name, _he realized. Peter wrapped MJ with bandages, and luckily he knew how to clean and dress wounds due to his own exposure to these kinds of injuries. He gently removed her blood stained sweatshirt and replaced it with one of his own hoodies. Unlike most boys his age, Peter knew how to do laundry. Leaving her to rest, he left the room and called Ned.

"Hello?" Ned answered.

"Hey, man. You have to get to my place. Now."

"Woah, what's going on?"

"Just hurry."

"Be there in ten." Ned replied, recognizing the urgent tone of Peter's voice.

When Ned arrived he was quickly filled in by a nervous Peter.

"So she has a crush on you and decided that stabbing your girlfriend was the best way to win you over?" He asked in disbelief.

"I'm not sure, I guess so. I don't think she cares about me, at least the Peter Parker me. She only wanted to talk to me with the mask on."

"That's weird. Does she like… have a spider fetish?"

"Ned! How would I know?"

"I dunno, just a thought."

Peter rolled his eyes, happy to have a bit of his normal life back for even a moment.

"She asked me to stop stopping burglaries."

"Stop stopping them?" Ned laughed at how strange it sounded.

"Yes, I-"

"Peter?" A soft call came from his room.

**MJ's POV**

Michelle awoke to see she was laying in Peter's bed, his covers pulled up to her chest.

"Peter?" She called. She heard quick footsteps and watched as he rushed in, to see Michelle laying there, pale but awake.

"MJ, are you okay?" He sat down beside her and put his hand on her forehead to feel her temperature.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't fuss over me, Parker. I'm not some sick puppy." She sounded annoyed, yet she smiled, feeling safe with him.

Ned walked in, apparently filled in on what had happened.

"How bad is it?" Michelle asked Peter.

"Not great, but the bleeding has stopped. How are you feeling."

"Like a million bucks." She said sarcastically.

"Did it hurt?" Ned asked MJ.

"No, it felt like being tickled with a feather. Yes it hurt, idiot."

Ned grinned, happy to see that MJ had suffered no damage to her personality.

"What did she write?" MJ asked Peter more softly.

He looked away guiltily. "_The Black Cat was here_."

"So is that like her super villain name?" Ned asked excitedly.

Both Peter and MJ turned to glare at him.

"Sorry, it's just all pretty insane." _Typical Ned, _MJ thought.

"Why don't you go make MJ some hot chocolate?" Peter suggested.

Taking the hint, Ned left the room.

Peter turned to look at Michelle. "I'm so sorry, MJ. This is all my fault."

"No," she argued. "It's hers."

"But I shouldn't have let her-"

"Forget about it, Peter. I'll be fine." MJ cut him off.

She watched as his hold on his emotions wavered, before a tear escaped and rolled down his face. She reached up to wipe it away before he realized it was there.

"I can't let you be hurt because of me," he said, his voice breaking.

"If you honestly thought I imagined being a superhero's girlfriend was a walk in the park, then you clearly mistook me for an idiot."

"But I can't let this affect-"

"Peter."

He looked up and held her gaze.

"I'll be fine."

"I'd feel better if you had some protection."

"Like what? A bodyguard following me all the time?" She snorted.

"Yes! Mr. Stark's prototype!" Peter lit up.

"I was kidding."

"I'm not."

She looked at him, thinking about how annoying a suit following her around would be.

"I'm not your damsel in distress, I can defend myself. Today was just a surprise."

"I know you can. This would be for me. For my peace of mind. It would just defend you when you need it, I can program an alarm for you to activate when you're in trouble. Then both the suit and I will be on our way."

"That seems a little excessive, don't you think?"

"As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

She furrowed her brows at him in an unconvinced look.

"Please?"

"Fine," she conceded.

He smiled and leaned down to softly kiss her forehead. As his lips brushed her skin, she closed her eyes contentedly. When she opened them Ned had returned with a mug of hot chocolate for her.

"Thanks," she said as he placed it on the desk beside her. _I hope my dad hasn't arrived home yet. _She glanced over at Peter's clock to see it was 5:00 pm. She put her hands in her pocket but it was empty.

"Hey, Peter, where's my phone?" She asked.

"I-uh, it was in your sweatshirt pocket." He said, slightly embarrassed.

Looking down, she realized she was no longer wearing her own hoodie, but Peter's.

"Sorry, I… it had blood on it so I washed it. I'll go get your phone." His face filled with a blush as he rushed out.

Ned has stood there, watching the whole thing with a grin on his face.

"Oh, shut up, Ned." MJ had also turned a light shade of pink.

"I didn't say anything!"

"You didn't have to." She reached over and wrapped her hands around her mug of hot chocolate, sipping slowly. Its warmth filled her body and she watched as Ned sat down at Peter's desk.

"So what happened?" He asked.

"Didn't Peter tell you?"

"Yeah, but he was… distracted."

"By what?" She questioned.

"He's just really shaken about this. I guess he just hoped you wouldn't be caught up in all this."

"It would've been the same if it were you."

"Maybe, but I wouldn't have gotten a kiss and a warm and cozy bed." Ned laughed at the thought.

"You never know," Peter said walking back in and handing MJ her phone.

Ned gave him a look that made them all laugh, but MJ's laugh was cut short when she looked at her phone. It read:

_**3 missed calls from Dad**_

_**5 new messages from Dad**_

She opened the messages.

**Dad: Michelle where are you **

**Dad: Get home now**

**Dad: If you don't answer now you're grounded**

**Dad: Seriously Michelle**

**Dad: Answer me**

She quickly typed out a reply.

**Michelle: I'm sorry I was working on a project at a friend's house and my phone died. We're not close to being done. Could I stay the night?**

He replied almost instantly.

**Dad: Fine. Be home tomorrow by 12**

**Michelle: ok thanks**

"Everything okay, MJ?" Ned asked.

"Yeah. Peter, is it okay if I spend the night?"

"Of course."

"So what now?" Ned asked.

"We find a way to put the _Black Cat _behind bars." Peter answered.

"Or better yet, dead." Ned added, and usually Peter would be horrified at that, but after what happened to Michelle… he wouldn't mind returning the favor. The Black Cat won't want to be alive after he's through with her.

**Chapter 3 (kinda) is done! The Black Cat in the comics is one of Peter's love interests, but I thought it would be more interesting if her affections were more one sided. Might be rewriting this, not 100% loving it but idk. We'll see what happens next!**


	4. Chapter 4: Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter four! Also, I know I'm taking this story a bit fast but I only write this story at like 1 in the morning so my brain has some crazy ideas and thoughts pouring out. If I write more stories they're going to be a bit slower and more in detail but this one is kind of my warm up.**

**Honestly thought I'd start hating my writing and delete the whole thing by now but you never know :) Enjoy!**

**Warning: mention of physical abuse**

Chapter Four: Calm Before the Storm

**Peter's POV**

Peter kept glancing over at Michelle, watching for any signs that she was in pain. She insisted she would be fine moving to the living room on her own. In her words, she's "had period cramps worse than this", causing both Ned and Peter to shut up and get out of her way, both of them feeling very uncomfortable.

Now, Peter had her on his right and Ned on his left while they sat on the couch and were discussing who would win in a fight: Peter or a dragon. They really are a strange trio.

"Peter, is your suit fireproof?" Ned asked.

"I'm pretty sure, hold on." He grabbed his mask and pulled it on. "Karen, is this suit fireproof?"

"Yes, Peter. It also has an invisibility setting, if you use Quentin Beck's drones, which you now have access to."

"No way!" Peter exclaimed.

"What?" MJ butted in.

"Its fireproof, and I can turn invisible!"

"What!? No way, man!" Ned was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

Peter pulled his mask off just as May walked in the door.

"Hi, May." Peter said, his friends greeting his aunt once they saw her.

"Hey, guys. Are you both staying for dinner?"

"Actually, May, could MJ stay the night?"

"Oh. Sure! Just make sure you two use protection."

"May!" Peter's face could have starred in a movie called 50 shades of red. Michelle blushed too, and they both avoided looking at Ned who was bursting out in laughter.

"It's not like that, May," Peter said defensively. "She's hurt so going home would be difficult."

"Mhmm, well my advice still stands." She eyed Peter with a look that said she meant it.

He averted his gaze immediately.

"Well, if the two of you are staying for dinner we can order a pizza."

"Sounds great!" Ned answered, the only one of them who wasn't dying of embarrassment.

May smiled and ruffled Peter's hair before heading to her room to get changed.

"Sorry about that, MJ." Peter rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Are you kidding? That was hilarious!" Ned burst into laughter yet again.

MJ rolled her eyes before changing the subject. "Could we watch a movie?"

"Yeah, any ideas?" Peter relaxed, relieved that she moved on from May's comments.

"What about a Star Wars movie!" This was Ned's suggestion every time they watched a movie.

"Which one?"

"_Not _one of the new ones." MJ said.

"Why not?" Ned asked.

"We've had to have watched those at least ten times each."

"Okay, how about _A New Hope?" _Peter suggests.

Both MJ and Ned agree to that one, and he turns it on.

Just as the movie's starting, May returns now in her sweats. She sat on the armchair near them and orders the pizza online.

For now, Peter was able to forget about Felicia and what she had started. He would have been content to just stay there forever, but of course, he couldn't.

While his friends and his aunt ate pizza and laughed, he thought about what he would do to take away the power she held over him. He could find a way to put her behind bars, but she wouldn't have told him all about her burglaries if she wasn't able to cover them all up.

Peter didn't know, but MJ noticed he was distracted.

**MJ's POV**

MJ watched as Peter's eyebrows furrowed in worry, his fingers drumming anxiously against his leg. She reached over to intertwine her fingers with his, and he turned to look at her.

Holding eye contact with him caused her body to fill with warmth. Her cheeks grew hot and he smiled, causing every nerve in her body to explode.

She glanced over at May to make sure she was focused on the television before she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Nervous for his reaction, she leaned her head against his shoulder, the same way he did to her on the plane home from Europe.

She felt his body tense up in surprise, before he relaxed, squeezed her hand, and rested his head against hers.

She sighed softly, gaining the attention from May who glanced over and smiled before returning her gaze to the TV.

Michelle closed her eyes, and she didn't know how much time had passed before she drifted off to sleep.

**Peter's POV**

With Michelle asleep on Peter's shoulder and Ned giving him a thumbs up, he was completely distracted from thoughts of his new foe.

About three quarters of the way into the movie, both Ned and Peter fell asleep. Ned was leaning his head backwards on the back of the couch, his mouth open. Peter was leaning back into MJ, dozing on and off.

When the movie finally ended, May was the only one awake. She shook her head to herself before shaking both Ned and Peter awake. Knowing MJ, she definitely did not want to wake her up.

Peter awoke to May's hand on his shoulder, whispering for him to wake up. Ned had sat up, and was now rubbing his eyes.

Looking down, he found that MJ had fallen into his lap. He ignored where she was laying and cautiously slid out from beneath her. She continued to sleep.

Leaning down to pick her up, he stood with her head leaning against his chest and her hand resting on his shoulder. He couldn't have dreamt of a more perfect moment.

While May brought Ned blankets to sleep on the couch with, Peter carried MJ to his bed. He laid her down for the second time that day, pulling the covers over her yet again. As he turned to go sleep on the floor of the living room, his sleeve caught on something. Or, more accurately, someone. MJ held onto his sleeve, still half asleep.

"MJ, I have to go to bed." He said laughing softly.

"I know." She whispered.

"Goodnight." He whispered back.

"Can't you stay?" She asked, her eyes half closed.

"I can't, May would-"

"It's okay, Peter." May cut him off, having checked to see what was taking so long.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes, goodnight." She whispered, leaving the room.

He turned back to MJ who was now asleep again.

_She's so cute when she's sleeping. _

He turned off the lights before he slid into the bed beside her. She snuggled up to his side, causing his senses to go haywire. For the second night in a row, Peter slept soundly. Well, almost. There was a scare at around 3 am when Michelle sat up suddenly.

Peter jumped up as well, ready to fight.

"What is it, MJ?" He whispered urgently.

"The… the p-penguins. They're sword fighting." Her voice shook as if she were terrified of these fencing flightless birds.

He smiled.

"It's okay, MJ. They can't hurt you. I won't let them." She nodded and laid back down, calming down once Peter had his arms around her.

They slept peacefully for hours.

7:03 am

"Peter!" May called from the front door. "Pepper is here to see you!"

He sat up with a start, causing MJ to jump.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Pepper is here." He said standing up and changing into clean clothes.

"Pepper…? Oh my god. Pepper _Potts?_" Her eyes widened in shock, not believing one of her idols was here, in Peter's apartment, to see _him. _

"Yes, come on, come meet her."

"Wearing _this?" _MJ asked, horrified.

"Since when did you care about how you look?" He laughed.

"Since it's Pepper _freaking _Potts!"

Peter just laughed and gestured for her to follow him. She followed reluctantly.

They emerged from Peter's room to see Pepper holding Morgan's hand. Looking around, he saw that Ned had left already. Morgan rushed to hug Peter and he lifted her up and spun her around.

"Peter!" She squealed.

"Hi Morgan! How are you doing? Are you taking care of your mom?" He set her back down and knelt to be at her height.

"Yeah, I am!"

"Good."

"Peter, how are you?" Pepper asked.

"Pretty good, how about you?"

"I-"

"Oh! Mrs. Potts, Morgan, this is my girlfriend Michelle."

"You can call me MJ. Nice to meet you Mrs. Potts. And you, of course, Morgan." She said, trying her best to appear friendly despite her appearance.

"Nice to meet you as well. You can call me Pepper."

The surprise was obvious on MJ's face.

"Psst!" Morgan whispered, tugging on Peter's sleeve.

"Yeah?" He whispered back.

"She's really pretty." She pointed right at MJ.

He smiled.

"I know right?" He replied, watching MJ blush.

"Peter," Pepper said in a tone that apologized for taking him away from this moment. "Mind if I have a word?"

"Not at all."

She gestured for him to follow her to the kitchen.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Peter offered.

"No, that's okay. I'm sorry, but I'm in a rush."

"No problem. I'm assuming you need to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to ask about Tony's suit being deployed the other day. It flew out of the Avengers Facility and I had no idea what was happening." Her eyes spoke of her grief, and a moving Iron Man suit definitely couldn't have helped that.

"I'm so sorry, Pepper." He said, for once using her first name. "MJ… she was hurt and I wasn't going to be able to get to her in time. I really needed it, I'm sorry if it startled you."

"That's okay, really. I just wanted to make sure it was you. Now that I know, it's no problem."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Peter knew how hard it must be for Mrs. Stark, but the suit was important to MJ's safety, and that was his top priority for now.

"Anyways, I have to go but maybe you and MJ could babysit on Tuesday? I have business that Morgan shouldn't be around for."

"Sure! We can do that."

"Okay, thanks, Peter!" She went back into the living room where Morgan and Michelle were sitting on the floor, deep in conversation.

"Morgan, time to go."

"But moooom! MJ and I were-"

"No buts, come on." Pepper cut off her protests.

They flew out the door after saying quick goodbyes.

MJ turned to look at Peter.

"I love her." She said, her eyes wide.

Peter laughed at her realization.

"Who doesn't?" He replied.

They both smiled.

"Wait." Peter gasped.

"What? Are you okay? What is it?" She panicked.

"What day is today?"

"Um… December first, why?"

She watched as Peter's face brightened, and as much as she might hate to admit, his smile was adorable.

He ran to his room, and she stood there, bewildered and confused. He emerged, carrying a CD which he placed into the CD player by the TV. He pressed play, and turned around to watch MJ's reaction.

She stood there, still unsure of what was happening.

But then… the song began.

_I don't want a lot for Christmas… there is just one thing I need…._

Peter's smile grew and she groaned. At home, she never had a happy holiday season, so she never knew how fun it could be.

Peter began singing along in an awful song voice.

"I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree," He intertwined his fingers with hers.

"I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know." He felt warmth fill his body as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Make my wish come true," he sang, failing to hit the high note but succeeding in winning over Michelle.

"All I want for Christmas is you," she joined.

He reached over and turned the volume up.

They continued singing, each trying to be louder than the other, Peter spinning her around until the song came to an end.

"Parker, is you tell anyone about this, I swear you will be so dead." She whispered breathlessly.

He laughed, twirling one of her curls in his fingers.

"Does this mean you're ready for a Peter-style Christmas?"

"What does that mean?" She said skeptically.

"Baking cookies, ice skating, going to look at Christmas lights. All the coupley stuff."

She groaned.

"Come on, I know it's cheesy but it would be so fun!" He pleaded.

"Stop giving me the puppy dog eyes." She glared.

"I'm not!"

"Oh, you _so _are." She said grabbing a pillow and hitting him with it.

"Hey!" He yelped, grinning at her.

"I don't know, I never really _do _Christmas." She said more softly.

"What do you mean?" They sat down on the couch together.

"I don't know…." she trailed off. Her eyes were downcast, causing Peter to look closer at her.

Her fingers tapped against her knee and her lips tightened.

"You never really talk about home." He said, trying to convey that he had picked up on her hiding her home life from him.

Apparently she understood, because she looked up in alarm. She reminded him of a deer caught in the headlights. She clearly dreaded a conversation like this.

"I can't… Peter you don't understand."

"So help me to understand."

"Peter…" she trailed off again.

He took her hands in his again, and she sighed, beginning to tell him what she had been holding in.

**MJ's POV**

Her heartbeat quickens as she tries to tell Peter. _He needs to know. Just tell him. _She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again.

He leaned down to look at her, concern clouding his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she began.

"As you know, it's just my dad and me. He's not the most compassionate… but it works. Most of the time. He has this girlfriend… her and her son are over a lot. Her son is about 19, only about two years older than us, I think. He-" her breath hitched. "He hits me."

Peter suddenly stood up, causing her to jump.

"That son of a bitch, where is he?"

"Peter, sit down."

"No! I want to know who he is and where I can find him!" He snapped at her, causing her to recoil.

"I'm sorry," he said as soon as he realized he had snapped at her.

"It's okay." She replied, continuing to sit there.

"MJ, I have to do something though. You know that." He sat back down beside her.

"Peter, don't. You'll only make it worse."

"Come live here, then." He argued.

"As lovely as that sounds, I can't do that."

"Why not? You could sleep with me every night. May wouldn't mind at all."

"I just can't, I'm sorry." She couldn't explain why, but she knew that it wouldn't work.

"I can't let you get hurt anymore than you have been already."

"I'll be okay, I always will. You just needed to know."

Peter pulled her to him without warning. She collapsed into him, her head nuzzled into his neck. His arms found her waist, hers his shoulders. Her legs fell into his lap and he held her there, his arms strong yet gentle around her. She gripped onto him tightly while he whispered in her ear.

"I can't let you keep getting hurt, MJ. You know I'll have to do something about this."

"I know," she replied as she leaned against him. They stayed that way for several minutes before she got up.

"I really have to be heading home." She said. The time was 11:47. MJ wouldn't make it home before 12 which is when she was supposed to be home and she knew this, but didn't say anything to Peter.

"Okay," he relented.

She was on her way out the door by 11:50, leaving Peter to contemplate how he could help her.

Unfortunately, he would be too late to protect her from more pain, because the next day would be eventful to say the least.

**Me being single decided to fill that void with some cute Peter x Michelle Christmas couple scenes so you can look forward to that! Thanks for reading if you've gotten this far!**


	5. Chapter 5: Too Late

**I know I'm throwing in so many different things but I promise it will settle into a rhythm soon, I'm just writing for fun. This chapter I actually have a plan though, so hopefully it's good! **

Chapter 5: Keep Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer

**MJ's POV**

Michelle arrived home just after 12:15. She was in for a rough time and she knew what lay ahead. Michelle was no stranger to these situations. She slowly turned her key in the lock and slipped into her apartment.

Two pairs of shoes sat by the door. One pair was neatly placed petite flats, the other was much less welcoming. Large men's Adidas shoes were flung aside carelessly, one upside down the other on its side.

Unfortunately, Michelle knew who those shoes belonged to.

"Michelle," A friendly voice hiding the cruelty of its owner sliced through the silence of the room.

"Hey, Mark." She said, hiding her fear and quickening pulse under a mask of defiance.

"Didn't you tell dad that you'd be home by noon?" He raised his wrist up as if looking at his watch, which she knew was broken. He broke it punching the wall in anger, shattering it instantly. This was last week.

"I told _my _dad that, yes."

"It seems to be 12:18," he said, a strange gleam in his eye.

"And?"

"Come on, little sis, I know you were with that dweeb Parker."

"I'm not your sister, and Peter's a friend."

"Right. Well, I didn't know friends slept in the same bed together."

"How the fuck did you-" she began to tell him off before she realized her slip up.

"So you did sleep with him, you little tramp," he snarled. "I knew I heard you sneak him in the other night! And Peter Parker, no less! The epitome of a loser," he shook his head at her.

"No, I-" she began to panic, losing her cool.

Michelle Jones never lost her air of stubbornness or showed what she was thinking, except for when she was backed into a corner with nowhere to go. And that was Mark's talent.

"I think you should be punished, Michelle."

"Would you relax for a second? I didn't do anything."

"Bullshit." He glared, taking a step towards her.

She took a step back.

"I'm not going to let you embarrass me any further."

He took another step forward. MJ took another step backwards.

"I'm going to make you regret even _looking _at Peter Parker."

One step forward. One step back.

"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into." His voice dropped to a tone that instilled more fear in Michelle than when he was yelling at her. The quietness of it spoke volumes.

He took a final step forward, but this time, MJ had nowhere to go.

He pulled his fist back, and Michelle closed her eyes, bracing herself.

The second stretched out like an eternity, her eyes squeezed shut, holding back tears.

When his fist came crashing down, she barely even felt it.

She never felt it anymore.

**Peter's POV **

Peter grabbed a slice of avocado toast May had prepared for him, racing out the door to meet Ned.

"Thank you, May!" He called, his backpack flying behind him. As usual, he was running behind.

"Hey, Peter," Ned greeted him as they headed out for school.

"Hey man, where's MJ?"

"She texted saying she was running late and would meet us there."

"Did something seem wrong with her?"

"No, why?"

"I dunno, just checking." _Stop being so paranoid, Peter. She's fine. _

He couldn't be more wrong.

"I ordered an AT-AT walker lego set!" Ned announced, breaking the silence.

"No way! How big is it?" Peter asked, taking a bite of his toast.

"About 16 inches tall," he replied.

"When do we get to build it?"

"Peter, are you okay?" Ned gave him a strange sideways glance.

"Yeah, of course, why?"

"I can tell something's bothering you. Spit it out."

_Leave it to Ned to read him like a book._

"MJ told me something the other day," Peter admitted. It hadn't left his mind for the last 18 hours, and he had been brainstorming ideas to get her out of that apartment. He had one that just might work….

"And what's that?"

"Don't say anything about it, okay?" Peter whispered.

"Who would I tell?" He chuckled, lightening the grim tone.

"Her almost-step-brother physically abuses her,"

"What!?" Ned practically screamed.

"I know, it's horrible."

"Where the hell is this asshole, we need to get him!" Ned was pissed, MJ was one of his best friends, and he stood by and protected his friends.

"That's what I said, too! She won't tell me who he is."

"Well we have to do something!"

"Don't worry, I'm going to. We have to get her out of there before something else happens."

_Too late, _he thought to himself. A horrible feeling filled him as his gut told him something he didn't want to believe.

"Peter?" Ned asked.

They had arrived at school, and Peter saw a flash of curling dark hair disappear into the building.

"Ned, I'll meet you in class. I think something happened." He said, heading off in a jog.

"Okay, see you there." Ned's voice was filled with worry.

Peter made his way through the crowd, darting through halls trying to find her.

Finally, he spotted her turn a corner up ahead and he doubled back to duck into a janitor's closet. He peered out the small window, waiting for her to get closer. In one fluid motion he pulled MJ into the closet with him.

Her eyes darted around in fear, a look Peter rarely saw on her. When recognition lit up in her face, she relaxed.

"Peter, what are you doing?" She sighed.

Even though Michelle could hide her emotions easily, Peter knew something was wrong.

He reached up and brushed aside one of her curls. A small spot of purple appeared. Gently wiping around her eye, a larger bruise was revealed from underneath a layer of makeup. MJ, not typically a user of makeup hadn't done the best job of hiding her black eye.

Peter's breath hitched.

"What happened," he breathed.

"Nothing." She looked away.

"Was it him?"

A feeling of anger bubblesd up inside him as she nodded, but she was more important right now. Revenge could wait.

MJ continued to avoid eye contact, and tears welled up in her eyes. Sometimes all it takes is one person to know that you're in pain for you to break.

He pulled her against him, her head falling against his chest as her body was racked with silent sobs. They listened to the bell ring but ignored it.

"Stay with May and me." Peter whispered and he felt her nod before she leaned against him harder.

Through his shirt he could feel her damp tears, but all he cared about was getting her out of there.

"I'll call May to come get us, okay? Then we can have all day to figure this out."

He shot May a text explaining that MJ couldn't go home and they needed to get her to the apartment as soon as possible. She replied quickly, saying that she couldn't get away from work for awhile, but she would be there to get them soon.

MJ, for once, was silent. It broke his heart to see his strong, stubborn girlfriend this way.

"I need my stuff," she said finally.

"I'll swing over and get everything for you." Peter answered.

She smiled at him and he wiped a few tears from her face.

"Let's get to class." She said, grabbing Peter's hand and pulling him behind her as they hurried to their first period class. They were late, but it didn't matter to either of them. Peter sat down beside Ned as usual, and pulled out his chemistry book. He was so busy catching up he didn't notice that Mr. Gardner was talking.

"And this is our new student. Everyone, this is Felicia."

Peter's body went rigid.

There she was, Felicia Hardy.

The Black Cat.

In his chemistry classroom.

**MJ's POV**

She sat straight up, her eyes darting between Peter, Ned and Felicia.

The class half heartedly greeted her, and she took an open seat. Four rows in front of Michelle, one row in front of Peter.

Michelle always sat in the very back of the class, not because she was a poor student but because she wanted to read without their teacher noticing.

Peter turned to look at her, and they shared a terrified look. Ned leaned in and whispered something to his best friend, and Peter whispered back.

She watched as Felicia turned, smiled at MJ's two best friends, and began introducing herself as if they didn't already know exactly who she was.

**Peter's POV **

"Hi, I'm Felicia." She said, smiling sweetly.

"Nice to meet you." Peter growled through gritted teeth.

Ned was silent.

"And you are?" She turned to Ned.

"Ned Leeds." He answered, barely able to speak. Peter elbowed him. _Ned! Don't tell her your name! _

She smiled even sweeter, as if she were the most innocent girl alive before turning back around to 'pay attention' to the lesson.

Peter kept glancing at his phone, waiting for May's text that she was on her way.

When class ended, he told Ned he had to go and to stay safe.

"Be careful you two," He replied. MJ, not one for human contact, actually gave Ned a quick hug before they hurried out the door.

On his way out Felicia waved at him, standing beside Flash who had taken it upon himself to be Felicia's tour guide. He was clearly flirting the entire time.

"Hey guys," May greeted them. "Let's go to..." She eyed the office lady who was peering over her glasses at them.

"Your… dentist appointments." She finished.

Peter rolled his eyes. _And she's supposed to be the adult? _

MJ smiled, it was just a small curve at the corners of her mouth but he saw it nonetheless.

As always, Peter's mind was working overtime to process and solve all of these new problems.

He had figured out a plan for Michelle, but he still viewed it as a failure because he'd been too late.

When they arrived at Peter's apartment, he hurried into his room to suit up.

Michelle followed, now less awkward about being with Peter while one or both of them were changing.

"I'm going to get your stuff." He said, his voice taut.

"No, it's okay, I'll head home soon."

"MJ, this isn't up for debate." He sniffed, pressing the spider on his chest to get his suit to tighten.

"You know I can take care of myself."

"Okay, if you really want to go back it's your choice. But I have an idea that can work."

"I can't move in with you at 17, Peter." She rolled her eyes.

"That's not it. Do you trust me on this?" He asked, watching for hesitation.

There was none.

"Yes."

"Okay. I'm going to go get your stuff, I'll call you when I get there so I can gather everything for you."

"Thank you." Her voice grew soft, into a tone that Peter had never heard before. It felt so intimate, as if she were sharing a secret that no one else in the world knew. Which, of course, wasn't too far from the truth.

He pulled her into a tight embrace quickly before leaping out the window.

New York was eerily quiet, as if the whole city was holding its breath.

_There it is. _He swung towards Michelle's apartment. Peter pushed her window open (it was always unlocked, in case Peter had an emergency again). He landed softly on her carpet.

"Karen," He whispered. "Scan the apartment."

"No one is here, Peter. All clear."

"Thank you." He said, using a normal volume again.

"Call MJ."

He listened to the dialing tone for maybe a second before she picked up.

"Are you there?" She asked with no greeting.

"Yeah, what do you need?"

"Okay, so in my closet there should be a big duffel bag. Could you fill that with any clothes you see?"

"All of them?"

"Yeah. I'm not going back."

"Got it." He found the bag and started stuffing clothes into her bag. Band T-shirts, hoodies, ripped jeans, a few pairs of shoes he knew that she usually wore.

"And your toiletries?" He asked.

She laughed.

"What?"

"You say _toiletries_?" She teased him, but Peter loved it because it meant she was still the same MJ.

"You don't?"

"No, of course not!"

"People say it!" He attempted to defend himself.

"Yeah, if they're over 40!"

"Shut up," He said, his voice filled with amusement.

"Okay, there should just be a blue bag sitting on the counter in the bathroom. That's all I need. Oh, and grab all the books that you can carry."

"You know I have to carry this all back, right? Are you trying to make me fall from the sky?"

She laughed again, a beautiful sound to Peter.

He did as she said, and hung up so he could head back. As he climbed out the window, bag in tow, MJ's door flew open. He flattened himself against the outside of the building. MJ's window was still open and he heard a younger man's voice.

"Michelle? I know you're in here. I heard you. Why did you skip school?" Peter listened as the person ripped apart MJ's room looking for her. He was incredibly grateful that she was hidden away from here, and wouldn't be getting hurt by him any time soon.

The voice had risen to a yell.

"I swear when I find you, I'll give you another black eye. Maybe this time I can manage to break a rib," they laughed maniacally.

Peter's blood was boiling. It took all of his self control not to go back in to fight this asshole. Taking a chance, he leaned down and peered into the room. He saw someone checking underneath Michelle's bed and when they rose, he saw the face of one of his classmates. Void of all emotions except for rage, he knew he had to do something.

_Not now. Be smart. You can do something when MJ is safe and happy. _

He was off, swinging slightly slower due to his extra weight.

_Mark Harwin is so dead._

**MJ's POV **

Peter toppled into the room, startling her. She had been doing homework at his desk, waiting for his return.

She stood up to greet him. He pulled off his mask, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. His hair was messy due to the mask, and the black and red skin tight suit complemented his muscles. Peter may be lean, but he was ripped as hell. Michelle wasn't one for swooning over guys, but she couldn't help but stare at every little thing about him. Even she could admit to herself, that in this moment he was hot.

"MJ?" He snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Mm? Sorry," she said, slightly embarrassed.

He smiled, and she got a feeling he knew that she had been staring at his body.

"You're cute when you're flustered." Peter had caught her.

"I'm not- I wasn't…" She stammered, completely out of character.

_Damn you, Peter Parker. Only you could make me fall so hard._

"It's okay if you were." He chuckled at her attempt to defend herself.

"You're such a loser, Parker."

_Really? That's what you came up with?_

"Then why are you dating me?"

"Because, Peter. I'm a loser too. Only losers date losers, that's where you got lucky. Also-"

Peter stepped forward and caught her in a kiss, cutting her off. It was soft at first, his lips were hot from swinging through the city and he was gentle with her. Because she had been speaking, her lips had been parted so she was able to kiss him back before he pulled away.

"Why'd you stop?" She asked him, the unspoken words being '_I want more'._

"We have to figure out what to do next."

"That can wait. Right now, I want to be somewhere else. Take me somewhere else."

Peter looked into her eyes as if to check if she were sure before obliging.

**Peter's POV **

He leaned in slowly, wanting it to last an eternity. He brushed his lips against hers softly, as if teasing her. She tilted her head back, waiting for him.

Peter took his opportunity to guide them onto his bed, finally connecting his lips to hers. He was hovered over her, their kiss tender, but apparently MJ wanted something new. She pushed him up so he had his back against the wall, throwing her leg over him so she was in his lap, her chest against his. His hands went to her waist, her loose T-shirt moving aside so he could place his hands against her smooth skin. He felt her hands move up his chest to cup his face. He sighed, her wandering hands sending warmth throughout his body.

He ran his tongue across her lip, begging for access. When she finally granted it, their kiss became a full on makeout session. Her lips were smooth but for a small cut where she must have been hit, and his heart broke with the thought of how it must have happened. He put all of his feelings into the kiss, trying to convey how much he cares about her.

She gasped, sending a light taste of something sweet throughout his mouth. Her breath tasted of strawberry, her lips of vanilla, and he yearned to taste more of it.

When she did pull away, her breath was heavy and she leaned her head against the side of his.

"We need to do that more often," she said, causing Peter to smile.

"I know right?" He replied, just as out of breath. He heard her breathy laugh, felt its air blow softly against his ear. She climbed off his lap, causing Peter to pout.

"Don't give me those eyes." She said, her expression showing how much she wanted to continue.

She stood up and looked out the window.

"Would you look at that," she whispered to herself. He stood to join her.

"It's snowing!" He exclaimed loudly.

The soft flakes drifted down from the very top of the buildings to the pedestrians and cars below.

"You're such a child," MJ replied with a laugh.

Peter laughed too, and for a moment they forgot about what was happening.

Looking closer at MJ, he noticed she had wiped off the makeup that was covering her bruising. Her eye was slightly swollen, the skin around it an array of black, purple, and blue shades.

His hand moved of its own accord, tracing the edges of her bruises.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." She said, her voice void of emotion.

"If I could have gotten you out of there sooner, or-"

"Peter."

He stopped, staring at his feet. He hated knowing that he could have stopped her pain, but he didn't. Whenever he's by her side, she gets hurt.

_I can't keep letting this happen._

"I can't keep letting you get hurt, MJ. After you're safe, I don't think we should be together anymore." He couldn't hold it in anymore, he felt the tears escaping and slipping down his face.

"Peter. Look at me."

He looked into her eyes and watched them soften before his vision blurred from his tears to turn her features smooth.

"You're not letting me get hurt. You've saved me every single time I've been getting hurt by someone else."

"But I caused you to be in danger, and then I knew that you were being hurt but didn't stop it."

"You can't blame yourself for that. That's other people being awful, it wasn't your doing." She was surprisingly calm considering what he was suggesting.

"But if you weren't with me, you wouldn't be in as much danger."

"Maybe, but that doesn't matter to me."

"It matters to me, though." He managed to stop the tears somehow.

"If you don't want to be together you can just say so." She said, her voice slightly breaking at the end.

"I want to be with you forever, MJ. I know it sounds cheesy but I want every moment of my life to be with you. I have to let that go. I can't let you get hurt because I put my own desires in front of your safety. I don't want you to be in pain, because I love you." He had spoken the truth, but he realized what he said after it was too late. He really does love her, but god, why did he have to say it out loud?

"You what?" Her eyes were wide.

He paused. He had already said it, he couldn't take it back. There was only one thing to do.

"I love you." His voice was almost inaudible, but he knew she heard it.

**MJ's POV **

_Did he really just say he loved her? _She couldn't speak, her throat wasn't working. She forgot how to breath, her heart going faster by the second.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same." He said, causing her to shake her head and look at him again.

She knew what she wanted to say, but it was hard to say it. _Why is it so hard to say it?_

Peter looked extremely uncomfortable, standing there, glancing out the window at the snowflakes falling.

"Peter."

He looked back at her.

"I love you too."

His face was blank for a moment, before it broke into a bigger smile than she had ever seen on his face. She smiled too, but not nearly as wide as Peter.

"I have an idea." He said with a grin.

She watched as he pulled his mask back on and she realized his suit had been on this entire time. He grabbed a blanket from his bed and opened the window, leaning out into the cold air. He offered his hand to her and she took it without thinking. He pulled her outside with him and shot a web up to the roof of the building. She wrapped her arms around his neck and shut her eyes tight, refusing to look down. She felt him pulling them up higher and higher, before he eventually stopped.

"You can open your eyes now, MJ."

She did, and looked up to see him smiling down at her.

She stepped away from him.

"Do you still think we should break up?" She asked him softly.

His smile fell into a hard set line in his face.

"I don't think I knew what I was getting you into." He admitted.

"Well, you might not have, but I did. Obviously being a superhero's girlfriend isn't going to be easy. I'm up for it." And she was.

"If it's ever too much, promise me you'll step away?"

Knowing that he wouldn't relent without a yes, she answered with a lie.

"I promise."

He pulled her to sit down next to him, their feet dangling over the streets of New York. She felt Peter wrap the blanket around both of their shoulders and lean into her. She leaned back, her head on his shoulder. She could feel the heat of his body through the spandex, and reached over to rest her arm across his chest. His breath was making clouds of steam through his mask.

For now, the matter was resolved.

**Peter's POV **

Peter looked down at MJ and and watched as a snowflake drifted down and landed on her eyelashes. She blinked it away and closed her eyes, tilting her head up into the snow. It peppered her hair, glistening among her dark curls. She couldn't have looked more perfect to Peter, despite her black eye and cut lip.

They sat like that for a few minutes before it grew too cold to stay outside.

Eventually, Peter had to leave for patrol.

He headed out, thinking of MJ and not of the real threat ahead.

He forgot about Felicia Hardy for a moment, and that moment wouldn't last forever.

Technically, it would only last ten minutes before he ran into her again.

This time, she was wholly prepared.

**So I filled this chapter with some lovey dovey stuff bc why not, and it slows the story down a bit. I was taking it way too fast, so sorry about that but it's getting better now bc I'm remembering how to do this. Thx if you've gotten this far!**


	6. Chapter 6: To Catch a Spider

**Hey guys! So I'm not sure how many people (if any) follow this story but I will continue to write intros as if I have followers ;) Sorry this chapter took so long, I've been busy. Anyways, I kind of have been using this writing to get through my bad days so you can probably expect a lot more from this story! Enjoy!**

Chapter 6: To Catch a Spider

**Peter's POV**

Peter swung through Queens, stopping occasionally to check for trouble and take a breath of fresh air, which wasn't always easy through the spandex.

The night was oddly silent, something Peter wasn't used to. The city was a lake with a smooth untouched surface, and something dangerous was lurking beneath the surface. Peter could feel it.

"Peter," Karen's voice cut through the silence. "Pepper Potts-Stark is calling."

"Answer it, please." His voice sounded strange when he was alone.

"Hello?" Pepper's voice filled his ears.

"Hey, Mrs. Stark, are you returning my call?"

"I am. What do you need?"

"I was wondering if we could talk about something." He said nervously.

"Always. What's going on?"

"So you remember Michelle, right?"

"Yes…?"

"Well… she, uh… needs a place to stay."

"Is she staying with you?"

"For now, but she says that moving in at 17 is crazy."

"She's not wrong," Pepper said laughing. "If you don't mind my asking, why does she need a place to stay?"

"Her step-brother… he hurts her. Or at least, used to hurt her." His voice had now lost its friendly tone, which Pepper could detect over the phone.

"If you're kidding, Peter, it's not funny."

"I'm not."

He heard her voice tighten up. "Alright send this kid's name and address I'm gonna-"

"Mrs. Stark with all due respect I think revenge has to wait. Trust me I feel the same way, but MJ needs to take a step back for awhile. Then we can rip the guy to pieces."

"Sounds like a plan." Pepper agreed. "So are you calling to see if she could stay here?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry to be asking you for so much I just really need her to be safe and-"

"Done. I'll be over to pick her up tomorrow, and get everything arranged as well. You'll tell her?"

"Of course. Thank you so much, Pepper. It really means so much to me."

"Anything for you, Peter. See you soon."

"See you."

He left Pepper smiling on the other side of the line, thinking of bringing another girl into her home. Of course, she was also filled with anger toward MJ's stepbrother, but she buried that for now.

Peter held on to the building he was sticking onto, leaning out over the quieting streets of New York.

"Peter, there is a burglary taking place three blocks from here." Karen broke the silence again.

"Take me there," he said. Karen began giving him directions.

_Burglaries… sounds like Felicia's cup of tea,_ Peter thought, swinging towards the building. _If she's half as good as she claims she is, she wouldn't set off alarms. Unless…. _

Peter was aware of the trap not a moment too soon because he was able to prepare himself for the woman who threw herself into him, sending them both careening over the edge of a building and rolling into the alley below.

The woman landed on her feet on top of a dumpster with a loud _thud. _After all, cats always land on their feet.

"Hey, Spidey. Looking for me, were you?" She asked in a tone Peter knew by now.

"Go chase a mouse or something, Cat. I'm not here to play fight."

"Oh, so he's got a mouth on him?"

"What do you want?" He hissed at her, not unlike the cat she was pretending to be.

"Oh, you know, just thought I'd stop by to check on you, hon."

Peter ignored her pet names again and hurled a trash can lid at her head, copying the style he'd seen Cap use to throw his shield many times before. Of course, it wasn't nearly as flawless.

She dodged it cleanly.

"Tsk tsk, you really don't know when to stop do you?" She said before leaping at him, claws first.

**MJ's POV**

"Hey, Michelle," May said coming in to check on her. She knew that Peter would have left by now so she was just about to start dinner for him to come home to.

"Hi, May. Do you need help with dinner tonight?" She sat up from her lazy lounging position on Peter's bed.

"Usually I would say no, but I could use a hand tonight if you don't mind." May almost always insisted that she didn't want any help.

"Could I change first?"

"Of course!" She said, leaving MJ to change into more comfortable clothing. She quickly slipped on her grey sweatpants and an old t-shirt before heading to the kitchen to help May with dinner.

They began chopping and slicing and rolling, talking about whatever they could think of. Their bubbly laughter was far from what their favorite 17-year-old-boy was feeling at this moment.

In fact, what he was feeling was a shit load of pain.

**Peter's POV **

He dodged the Cat's attack in time, but her claws caught on his forearm. He grimaced, but it was nothing compared to what he's been through before.

"Why were you at school?" He asked as he caught her fist and kicked her at her hips to send her doubling over.

She gasped for air.

"Oh, you know," she coughed and sputtered but somehow she still sounded casual. "Just thought a little visit would be nice."

"Stay away from me if you know what's good for you, Felicia."

"I love it when you say my name." She winked before kicking Peter's feet out from under him. She leapt on top of him in an attempt to pin Spiderman down but he was able to get a hold on her wrists and threw her over his head. He heard her crash into a pile of garbage while climbing to his feet.

"Well, you've thoroughly ruined my hair." She pouted as she brushed food remains from her shoulder. "And not in the way I would want."

"Was that really necessary?"

"No, Spidey, I'm just a flirt."

"You could say that again." He muttered, rolling his eyes under the mask.

"Excuse me?" She acted as if she were offended.

"Nothing. Are we done here? Because I have somewhere to be."

"Oh, yes, we're done for now. I got what I wanted as always."

His chest tightened.

"And what did you get?"

"Time. Enough for my men to get back safely with the money."

_Shit! The burglary!_

"See you at school tomorrow," she said with a little wave before she took off, disappearing further into the alleyway.

"Karen, do you know where the burglars went?"

"They headed off down the street, I lost track from there."

_They might be heading to Felicia's. _He shot off, flying around buildings. He took a short cut and kept Karen scanning for suspicious people.

"Peter, up ahead there are three men pushing a baby's carriage."

_Must be to hide the money. Even if there was a baby in there, three men with a baby is still suspicious, the dumb asses._

Peter made his way up behind them and landed right in front of them.

"Hey, fellas. Could I see the baby?"

They didn't answer, they only tensed and cocked their fists.

Peter shot a web at one, tangling him in a sticky mess.

Another threw a punch and Peter ducked before throwing him over his shoulder.

"It's too easy!" He said almost with a laugh as he the third guy attempted to kick his legs out from under him but Peter jumped over his attack and kicked him in the head hard enough for the man to go unconscious.

Peter unwrapped the 'baby' only to find more blankets.

"Where's the money?" He muttered.

Peter made his way back home and managed to make his way into the kitchen minutes before dinner.

"Hey, Peter," May greeted, ruffling his hair and kissing his forehead before wrinkling her nose. "You need a shower."

"Thanks, May." He said sarcastically.

MJ laughed and served Peter a plate. He thanked her and his mouth watered, but he was still in confusion from his encounter with the Black Cat.

May turned on the TV and the news channel intro filled the small apartment. May moved to change the channel, but Peter stopped her.

On the screen, a large bank was surrounded with police officers and firefighters.

"_Breaking news, a bank off of 73rd was robbed tonight, there have been no traces of the robbers and all the footage has been destroyed. Millions of dollars gone, but here's the real question: where was Spiderman?"_

Peter's face froze.

_So Felicia really did distract me… shit! I should have known…. _

"Peter?" MJ's hands rested lightly on top of his and he shook off his thoughts. May changed the channel, looking over at him with worry.

He didn't say anything, just ate in silence.

MJ left to May's bathroom to shower, because she had women's soap and shampoo.

Peter cleaned his plate before heading to shower in his own bathroom.

He let the hot water rinse the blood and dirt from his body, ignoring the stinging pains of his cuts. The water ran over his face and he tried his best to not think, but the newscaster's voice rang through his ears.

_Where was Spiderman? _

_Off being tricked by some overconfident crazy bitch, _he thought.

Maybe this time she had gotten the better of him, but Peter knew one thing.

_Two can play at that game, Cat._

**MJ's POV**

Michelle dried herself off and brushed her teeth before changing into Peter's sweatshirt that she wore when she had been bleeding on his bed. The words were still apparent, etched out messily on her stomach. She also wore soft shorts, but they were almost hidden by his hoodie. While she was still an inch or two taller, her torso was much smaller, which made his sweatshirts look a little baggy on her.

She went to go grab socks from her bag, which was in his room.

She was digging through her stuff when she heard the door open behind her. She turned to look to see a half naked Peter clad only in a towel that was wrapped around his waist.

"H-hey…" she managed to get out.

His eyebrows were raised slightly in alarm and she watched as his gaze dropped then rose again. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"I like your sweatshirt." He said before making his way to his closet to grab pajamas.

She smiled and hurried out into the living room to allow him privacy.

MJ was watching TV with May when she realized Peter hadn't left his room for awhile.

May had apparently noticed too.

"I'll go check on him," Michelle said to reassure her.

She knocked on his door softly, and heard a faint 'come in'. She opened the door to see Peter, no, Spiderman, laying back on his bed. He wasn't under the covers, just laying on top in flannel pajama pants, an old grey T-shirt, and his mask.

She was taken aback at first, not expecting his mask to be on.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Just running over footage from today."

Michelle recalled Peter telling her about his suit's AI recording what he sees.

"What happened?"

He pulled off his mask and his hair was released, still wet from his shower.

"Nothing." He replied, staring down at the foot of his bed.

"I know it's not nothing. Don't lie. At least tell me you don't want to talk about it." MJ sniffed, sitting down by the foot of his bed.

"I'm sorry. I just don't usually talk about my other life." The volume of his voice lowered, showing that he actually felt bad.

"It's alright, nerd. Let's talk about something else?" She phrased it as a question, giving him the option.

"Actually, there is something I have to talk to you about." He sat up, moving over on the bed to make room for her to sit beside him. She immediately took the opportunity.

His bed was small, so her arm was up against his and she could feel his body's heat through her, or rather, his hoodie.

Peter cleared his throat.

"I found a solution to our… um, problem. You staying here, that is. I know this is temporary, but I think I found a better option."

"And that is?"

"You could stay with Pepper." At her silence he added, "And Morgan."

"She wouldn't… she wouldn't want me there. I'm not going to intrude on their lives."

"Oh, trust me, they do want you there." He laughed softly.

MJ's heart jumped. _Pepper freaking Stark. You could live with Pepper _freaking _stark._

She pushed those thoughts away.

"No, I can just go home, if I-"

"No. No, MJ, you can't go back. Please," he turned to look at her and she saw the fear in his eyes. She could tell he wanted her to be safe, with someone he trusted.

"Okay. But… I don't want to be a burden."

"You're never a burden."

He reached out and pulled her hand into his gently, running his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Besides," Peter continued. "Morgan already loves you and Pepper said that means she does too."

Michelle tilted her head, considering the idea.

_You'd be safe. No more Mark. And you get to talk to Pepper Stark! And Peter could come over without sneaking in._

"Okay," she finally decided.

"Really?" Peter's voice has a triumphant tone to it, which caught MJ by surprise. She smiled, and she tried to hide it but she knew he saw it anyways.

"Yeah." She looked at him, and he seemed incredibly relieved.

_Why am I not being stubborn about this? Why do I listen to him when he says please? Who am I anymore? God, Peter, you've absolutely ruined me._

"Okay, good. She's coming by tomorrow to get you for the day."

"You did not already set this up." She said in a low voice.

"I did." He grinned, clearly proud of himself.

"Peter!" She scolded, punching his arm.

"Hey! I just knew you couldn't resist living with 'Pepper freaking Potts'."

She rolled her eyes and leaned into him.

"You know me too well, loser."

She could imagine his smile as he squeezed her hand.

They sat there for awhile before MJ broke the silence.

"What happened?"

He paused for a moment.

"Felicia… she um, she tricked me. I wasn't able to be there to stop it."

"She doesn't seem incredibly bright. I bet she spent weeks planning this."

He laughed, but she could tell it was fake.

"Yeah, I think I know what to do now."

"You'll figure it out, as always."

"But what if I don't? What if you get hurt again or Ned or May and-"

"Peter."

He usually rambled, but never with that scared tone. It was usually embarrassed or excited about something nerdy.

"I know you can, because think about what you've done. This is nothing compared to Vulture, Mysterio, _Thanos. _She's just some insane girl."

She felt his body relax a little as he thought about her words.

She continued, "They all attacked your friends and family too. Besides, you know that Ned and I will help you. You're not alone."

She turned to look at him and he smiled, both of them hearing Ned's voice saying 'guy in the chair'.

"You're right. We have to make Felicia's life a living hell at school." His voice turned angry. When he cursed, it sounded strange to MJ.

She thought for a moment before deciding what to do.

"I have a perfect idea."

And they got to work.

**Peter's POV**

He awoke to MJ shaking him.

"You're going to be late, come on!"

She was throwing her stuff into the bag Peter had snuck into her house to get.

He managed to get up and pull on a clean set of clothes before rushing to brush his teeth and hair.

MJ followed, brushing her teeth as well.

They met eye contact in the mirror and he winked at her to turn her cheeks slightly pink.

They made their way out into the living room where May handed them both breakfast smoothies.

"Thanks, May." Peter hugged her, then MJ, and headed out to meet Ned. MJ was going to stay home from school so Pepper could come get her and get her settled in.

Ned was waiting in his usual spot, and they walked to school together while Peter filled him in on why MJ wasn't there, and how they were going to execute the plan she came up with.

**MJ's POV **

Michelle day on Peter's couch, May having already left for work, tapping her foot anxiously. She had never been so nervous about something in my life. And Michelle Jones doesn't get nervous.

A knock on the door sent MJ to her feet. Her bag was all ready, she was freshened up, she had everything she needed yet Michelle still wasn't prepared to open the door to see Pepper.

She was even less prepared for the hug Pepper engulfed her in immediately.

"I take it Peter told you everything?" Michelle managed, her breathing constricted due to the tight arms around her.

"He did." Pepper rested her hand on the back of MJ's head. Michelle sighed softly, leaning back into her.

_I can't remember the last time someone hugged me so motherly like this…. _

"Are you ready?" Pepper asks, pulling away.

"Yes, thank you." MJ said, picking up her bag and they left, Michelle making sure to lock the door behind them.

_Here goes nothing._

**Peter's POV **

Ned and Peter were waiting in the hallway, their hearts racing.

"Are we really going to do this?" Ned asks.

"Yeah, we have to." Peter replied.

They were watching Flash from a safe distance. He was standing at his locker, talking to some girl who clearly was not interested.

When he finally headed off to class, they sprung into action.

Ned went first, heading down the hall towards Flash's locker. Peter watched as Ned glanced around before slipping a note into the locker. He then hurried of to class.

_My turn._

Peter acted as if he were busy in his backpack before he closed his locker and followed Ned's previous path. As he passed Flash's locker, he set something in front of it. He was quick, you would only know it was Peter if you had been paying very close attention, and like MJ told him, no one really noticed him.

He made his way to his class and took his seat beside Ned.

"Did you do it?" Ned asked.

Peter grinned. "Yup. Now all we have to do is wait."

And as always, MJ's plan worked.


End file.
